How big does a constrictor have to be before it can kill you?

**Pareeeee** · 06-18-14, 09:42 AM

I'm asking the out of curiosity than anything, since I've never heard an actual answer to this question. I think there must be some controversy on the subject.

So, in your opinion, how big does a constrictor have to be before it can kill you? At what size does a snake have to be before you shouldn't handle it alone?

jpsteele80 · 06-18-14, 09:48 AM

I think 6 foot could kill you, 8+ foot is usually the point where you want a second person around

Vysathi · 06-18-14, 09:52 AM

Depends on what you mean, to be honest. A snake that's good and strong could be as little as 3-4 feet (estimate on my part, but I think a reasonable one) and kill you if it got around your neck and constricted. Of course, I would like to think that handlers know better than to put a snake that size around their necks or let the snake get there on it's own.

In terms of constricting a human ribcage until death..... Probably upwards of 8-10 feet in a (very) strong snake. Again, estimating on my part....

Alternatively, a snake with a germy mouth might bight and without the appropriate cleaning of the wound, someone might end up with sepsis.... Though I find this one unlikely. It would take someone who didn't know to clean a wound and who has a compromised immune system and a snake with a very nasty mouth. (Generally, in this time period, anyone with a compromised immune system knows about it and knows how to avoid infections- almost certainly wouldn't have animals in the home.)

Someone who has a better answer will probably pop up.

IW17 · 06-18-14, 10:19 AM

Length alone is not a good determining factor in risk. You need to take into consideration length, weight and species. A 8 foot red tail is capable of killing an adult human, but an 8 foot retic, probably not. They just don't have the mass yet to be dangerous imo. Now other risks still pose a potential problem. The same 8 foot retic that I feel isn't a danger in regards to constricting, could possibly bite you on the wrist or other area and cause lacerations that could sever arteries.

FWK · 06-18-14, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IW17

Length alone is not a good determining factor in risk. You need to take into consideration length, weight and species. A 8 foot red tail is capable of killing an adult human, but an 8 foot retic, probably not. They just don't have the mass yet to be dangerous imo. Now other risks still pose a potential problem. The same 8 foot retic that I feel isn't a danger in regards to constricting, could possibly bite you on the wrist or other area and cause lacerations that could sever arteries.

I agree with IW. It's been a while since I really researched this but I still have some notes laying around. There have been a total of 17 deaths in the US attributed to constrictors since the 1970's. One death was the result of a salmonella infection and that story is a little bizarre. In another story the keeper suffered a heart attack while dealing with an unruly retic. The rest seem like true cases of constriction/suffocation. A few are very sad stories of infants or young children killed by escaped pets, and even then the smallest snake involved was a seven foot Rock Python. The smallest snake to kill an adult in the US was a nine foot Red Tail Boa back in 2010. This is also the only the only death in the US attributed to a constrictor other than one of the giant Pythons. The rest were mostly 12+ foot animals. 17 deaths since the 70's. An average of less than .4 per year. To give that some perspective dogs kill an average of 31 people per year in the US. The cap on your pin kills about 100 people a year. Think about that one the next time you chew on your ink pin or marker lol. Freak accidents do happen but as long as keepers are responsible snakes offer no real threat of hurting anyone. You have a significantly better chance of being killed by lightning.

Zoo Nanny · 06-18-14, 11:34 AM

AZA guidelines in zoos hold to longer than 5 feet on any snake needs two keepers to handle at all times. It's grounds for immediate termination if caught handling alone or holding any snake near your neck.

IW17 · 06-18-14, 04:27 PM

So a 6 foot rat snake requires two people?

Vysathi · 06-18-14, 04:32 PM

The guidelines Zoo gave are for zoo keepers specifically, it looks like. I would think that a rat snake would be okay at a private handler's discretion- but in a professional setting like a zoo, protocol is protocol is protocol.

David VB · 06-18-14, 04:36 PM

I handle ùy 8,5foot burmese on my own quite well. But, it could kill me if i don't watch it. Some weeks ago i was in a classroom with him and whilst telling those kids on how strong he would get, he was curling up around me neck and i had to use quite some force to get him off. And he was not even constricting, just holding on to me to not fall.
It al depends on the snake and the situation. Burmese are the most muscular ones so length alone is not a good parameter to go by i think.

CosmicOwl · 06-18-14, 04:39 PM

It only takes 5-6 seconds for somebody to lose consciousness due to the blood flow to the brain being cut off. After a loss of consciousness, any number of things could occur that could lead to death. So in my opinion, any snake that is strong enough to constrict your neck and resist removal for more than a few seconds is capable of causing a human death.

Zoo Nanny · 06-18-14, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IW17

So a 6 foot rat snake requires two people?

Yup most of the time we would just make sure there were two of us in the area so we wouldn't get in trouble.

**millertime89** · 06-18-14, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vysathi

The guidelines Zoo gave are for zoo keepers specifically, it looks like. I would think that a rat snake would be okay at a private handler's discretion- but in a professional setting like a zoo, protocol is protocol is protocol.

Bingo. Insurance rules. Even a 6ft rat snake can squeeze you around the neck and hit a pressure point and you'll drop like a rock. We private keepers take some things for granted but that doesn't make it safe/right.

IW17 · 06-18-14, 05:48 PM

Wow that's crazy but it's the way the world is going. Insurance companies rule us all. That being said I don't put any snake around my neck. I see a lot of people do it, but it's risky. My snakes are in my hands or crawling around in a safe room of the house while I watch over them.